Teniposide in the treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma

Forty-two evaluable patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer were treated with teniposide at doses ranging from 120 to 180 mg/m2 on Days 1, 3, and 5 every 3 weeks. Thirty-four patients had received no prior chemotherapy. Seven partial responses (16.6%) were obtained (21% in chemotherapy-unexposed patients). Marrow toxicity was the main side effect: life-threatening thrombocytopenia occurred in 9% of patients, and 54.5% experienced severe leukopenia. Teniposide, at the doses and schedule employed, has moderate activity in non-small cell lung cancer.